A bit about me, Sara

While on maternity leave my Mom (Doreen) opened a trendy little store right here in Airdrie, Bunky & Marie’s Consignment Boutique. She offered me a wonderful opportunity to assist her, I developed the website, helped with various administrative tasks and joined her in store on Saturdays. Fortunately I was able to do this from home when my son was napping and when my husband was not working. It was a fun hobby that kept my mind busy! After a year and a half, this little dream of my Moms had grown into a busy and booming little store! However, home life and store life didn’t have the balance she thought it should, and I wanted to be at home with my son. A mobile boutique with the freedom to pick and choose our markets and pop-up hours was a great way to still do the business we loved, while balancing family life. Since the winters aren’t welcoming to outdoor shopping we also created an online boutique, reaching customers across the County!

My Vision

Bunky’s as a storefront was known for cute, trendy clothing at a great price point. My vision is to continue to grow and reach more people through markets in the Central & Southern Alberta area and across the country through the online boutique. It’s a rush when someone on the other side of the country has placed an order on your website!

My Motivation

What drives me to get out of bed in the morning is my two-year-old, haha! He’s also the reason that I am grateful to have this opportunity to work from home. Working in the early mornings, during nap time and at night gets tiring – but getting to spend my days with him are worth it! I love to learn new things! Before Bunky’s I had no idea how to design a website! Co-owing a successful business, definitely something I never thought I would be able to do. Running this business alongside my Mom we are able to work off each other’s strengths and together we work well!

My self care and balance

It’s easy to put yourself last. As a mom I’m always on the go with my busy kid. Making meals, cleaning messes, laundry … there is always something to do. On the business side there is always an email to answer, time to spend looking for new products or working on the newsletter - but taking time to go for a walk or run outdoors helps to clear my head, I always return more focused and never regret it.

What I wanted my website to portray

When someone opens our website, I want them to feel like it is a place they feel comfortable shopping. Majority of the pictures are of me, and as a size 6/8 I want people to look at the pictures and think they could wear these clothes too. I know I don’t feel confident ordering from websites where the models are not ‘realistic’ looking. I want people to look at our products, find something they can wear to the office, to the park with their kids or for girls’ night out. Something they feel comfortable & confident in!

Surround yourself with like-minded people. Surround yourself with people who are happy for your success. We heard a lot of negative opinions when we moved to an online & mobile store. My Mom & I knew this idea would work; we put our all into it. It’s not always easy, there are countless hours spent behind the scenes, and not everything is going to work. We have a great support system, we hang out with people who motivate you, we have a group of amazing girl bosses and we believe in what we do. Having a business partner who can pick up more of the workload when you have too much on your plate, or just to run the business while you take some much need rest & relaxation is a lifesaver!

Thank you Kelsey for the opportunity to share a bit about my business and me!

Sara

Bunky & Marie’s Boutique

Thank YOU Sara for sharing and inspiring many fashion lovers to expand into the online world!!

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